Dear…
‘And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you. And ye have this day rejected you God, Who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, and ye have said unto Him, Nay, but set a king over us…’
1 Samuel 10:18-19
A particular long opening verse this is, but the Lord has impressed upon me to keep the rest of this sharing concise and by His grace, I will.
As I pen this, just after lunch, Nominations had just closed and preliminary figures showed that an unprecedented 82 out of 87 seats for the May 7th General Election in Singapore will be contested. The Reverend Francis Khoo of Covenant Vision Center in his prophetic Word released for this year shared about the vision he received in Nov 2010 of 6 months of great prosperity, followed by a period of uncertainty.( http://www.covenantvision.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=268&Itemid=81 ).
Is it not prescient that the election month of May also marks the end of that first 6 months and while it is anybody’s guess as to how the general population in Singapore will cast their votes, if the noise on the ground were to be reflected into actual votes, as a country, we could be in for some significant changes.
As a Christian, we are of this world but not in this world. But we are also commanded to respect our human leaders as men anointed by God. But does anointed in our fallen world mean that our leaders must be a Christian? And reality is not every professed Christian truly live out their calling and in the same vein, there are also very good leaders who are not Christians but have lived a life that is more in line with the values that we hold dear.
“Who should one vote for?’ was never an issue for most of us in past elections, for a dearth of good quality opposition candidates in past elections have ensured that few of us really had a chance to vote and even if we had that opportunity, the choice was obvious
But is this time different, with most of the available seats being contested? Many of us will finally not just be given a chance to vote but with real choices, as there do seem to be a great improvement in the quality of the opposition. But who should one vote for and should our moral values grounded upon one's religious beliefs, be the basis for making that all important decision?
Most in my generation(age 40s to 50s) are the baby boomers who truly benefited from our strong and good leadership. And we know that having experienced the difficult years of Konfrontasi(when Indonesia under the late President Soekarno was pretty antagonistic), the race riots(which was thankfully arrested before we had a chance to experience the human carnage we see in Rwanda and rump Yugoslavia when it broke apart and different ethnic groups embarked on ethnic cleansing) and having lived through our transformation from 3rd world to 1st world living standards,should we not stick to the safe and proven rather than vote for a change for the sake of putting a point across to the establishment? And are we like the Israelites of whole who never appreciated the miracles God wrought in their midst and rather follow a golden calf of their own making than the leading of God and His chosen servant leader, Moses.
‘Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.’
1 Corinthians 10:14
But is the status quo truly God’s will? Have we as a nation become so enamored with our blessings that we have moved away from the will of God? The world with all their riches and their idols have descended upon our tiny nation. In our efforts to be conducive, have we moved away from the values that have anchored our nation and have we allowed ourselves to evolve more and more into the warped values of the world. A world where the traditional family is no longer sacrosanct, where greed and pride and self interest takes precedence over community. And where legalistic arguments justifies unethical values and less care and concern for the needy?
‘Then Mordecai commanded to Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’
Esther 4:13-15
As the Bible has taught us, to disobey the will of God in order to maintain one’s present comfort zone is a recipe for disaster and the loss of the very thing that one is trying to preserve. This was the warning given to Queen Esther, when Mordecai asked her to approach the King, at risk to her own life, to save her people. Are we as a nation doing the same?
‘How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts..’
Jude 1:18
Yet, God is also very clear about deviant lifestyles. Satan is a lover of itself. Prideful, insatiably lustful and lovers of themselves. It is not for us to discriminate nor impose our beliefs upon those who choose to live their life different from the command of God. However, is it right for us to place in leadership, person or persons whose value system will be reflected in decisions they made not just for themselves but for this blessed nation of ours and is it possible for one to keep separate, one’s beliefs in the private, totally disconnected from one’s public role? Christians are asked to share but not impose their faith in the way they live, but can the same apply to those who desire an alternative lifestyle? Based on what is observed in the West which is more “liberal” or “carnal” depending upon one’s belief system, proponents of an alternative lifestyle do not stay within their confines, but instead do actively seek to propagate and push that choice into the mainstream of society, if given half a chance? But would it be fair to ascribe that same possible behavior to someone who is of the same orientation but state in no clear terms that they will not propagate? Only God knows what is in a person’s heart.
But as a Christian, it is not about what we think, but rather, what is the will of God and God will lead us.
We must surrender that right to decide based on our finite and flawed understanding even if it seems to rest upon high moral grounds, and to surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, our Spiritual compass. Empowerment comes not from the exercising the right to decide, but rather the decision to follow the will of God.
'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
Malachi 4:5
It is good that we take time to pray for our nation as we go through this possibly defining moment in our country. The Israelites of old lost their nation not just because their enemies were stronger and more insidious. They lost because the Israelites themselves have turned away from God and looked to mammon instead.
Indeed, there are greater issues to ponder upon in this election than just mere bread and butter, but the very question of our soul and what it means in eternity. And it is the Spiritual compass that God has placed in our hearts, the Holy Spirit Who will guide us on polling day, in making the decision that will please God.
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(27th April 2011)
The Great Divide
This sharing might not be written if I need not have to vote. Was it by divine intervention that I did get a chance to vote this time. My constituency, Holland by the liberal interpretation of our electoral planners have been cut nicely into two distinct voting districts. And instead of using a ruler like our old colonial British masters who together with the other Western colonial powers, happily cut up Africa with no regard to tribal loyalties, the guys in charge used the Malaysian owned railway track as the dividing line for my constituency. My home is right smack at one side of the railway track and just a few meters separated me from being part of Tanjong Pagar GRC,(though for the world of me, I find it hard to understand two geographically disconnected place can now be considered the same) where there is no contest. Instead, I now find myself part of the Holland Bt Timah GRC, likely to be one of the most hotly contested seats and a possible magnet for controversy given the implied but never admitted questions raised on the choice of lifestyle of of one opposition candidate.
And as I closed this sharing, our good Lord brought me to the story of how Paul and Barnabas, both faithful men of God, who had different views as to who to take with them in their ministry and went their separate ways and God bless their works mightily. And indeed, choice presents both a dilemma for many and also often act as a source of friction for faithful men of God. It matters not who we vote for, but what matters is that each of us must truly take time with the Lord our God and follow His leading.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #46 Yield (22nd April 2011)
Dear……
‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’
Matthew 26:39
This time last year, I was in Shanghai. And the photos in the album, a work of love painstakingly put together by Janet my better half, attest to the wonderful memories we had of the rejuvenated Grand Old Dame of Asia, but more importantly, the new experiences we had in attending church service in Shanghai over Good Friday as well as Easter.
'..he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.'
Hebrews 2:14
As most of us attend Good Friday service this morning, not just to commemorate but to celebrate and remind ourselves and all of the love of Christ for all of us and to affirm the victory of the saving grace of the cross, for death no longer has a grip on those who take up the salvation offered to all and we need no longer live our lives under the bondage of sin and its price, the fear of death.
‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.’
Ephesians 5:1
Such a wonderful and obvious truth, why then does not many believe? And sadly this disbelief also applies to many professed Christians who mouth their beliefs, but whose heart has no place for the risen Christ. Is there a reason to stay lukewarm? Is it because of the real and perceived risks to one's life and limbs?(as in this morning's headline on the 5 large bombs discovered near churches in Jakarta). Or in acknowledging and following our Lord Jesus Christ, would one be prepared to stand firm in the face of discrimination and persecution, as in the present seemingly difficult circumstances for Chinese worshipers in the Shouwang Church in Beijing? Seemingly difficult not because one is belittling the real challenges that our brethren in China faces, but rather, it is an acknowledgment that God is Sovereign and to Him only must we yield and no other and in yielding to Him, His grace will come forth.
( see this link for a testimony of faith http://www.chsource.org/site/en/blog/628-a-letter-to-the-congregation-beijing-shouwang-church.html )
( http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Shouwang-Church:-Celebrating-Easter,-even-at-the-cost-of-arrest-21354.html )
Common experience is that the thirst for our Lord is even greater in times of refinement compared to moments of ease. And what we are witnessing in China today is that innate faith that rest firmly upon the Lord our God, our Rock even as the burdens of lives intensifies. For a nation whose budget for internal security is as large as that for its external defense, it is indeed a strange experience for repressive forces who will find that man's cruelties and their repertoire of tools available do have its limitations when dealing with seemingly defenseless Christians, for whom, many have come to boldly live out the dictum, "to live is Christ, to die is gain." and our prayers are that these men, women and children of faith will remain steadfast in the spirit, knowing that the love of God will be anchor them through the present storm and that God's love through these lamps of faith, will overwhelm the once hard and dark hearts of their detractors, for man plans, God directs.
‘For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light.’
Ephesians 5:8
Would we who are blessed in Singapore and Hong Kong, be able to remain unmovable in our faith in the face of intense pressure that wants us to renounce our faith? Or is it already a reality that the comforts of a material life has already shifted many from their focus on the Lord our God and indeed, many have already renounced their allegiance to God and yielded to the temptations of Satan's world?
'And deliver them who through fear of death were all in their lifetime subject to bondage.'
Hebrews 2:15
Life as a Christian will be challenging, for we are asked to be no longer of this world, much as we are still living in this sinful world, till Christ returns. And this is best exemplified by how our Lord Jesus Christ, on Palm Sunday, was feted by all as he sat on the colt heading towards Jerusalem, after having rounded off his miraculous ministry with the resurrection of Lazarus. For any of us in His position, the sweet smell of success must have be pretty aromatic. Yet, who is to expect that just a few days later, things turned fairly sour and Christ was to find himself despised and cruelly crucified on Good Friday.
‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
Matthew 26:41
Is it understandable then for many “on fire” Christians to quickly lose that desire to live out their faith,when the reality of an ungrateful and difficult world fairly quickly doused the once vibrant faith and leave them smoldering in the embers of hurt and discouragement?
‘He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’
Matthew 26:42
How can we the carnal and imperfect man be like Christ, who though taking on the form of us human, yet is not like us? Yield is the word God placed in my heart and letting go and letting Him is what His Spirit leads me on in today’s sharing. All of us know truly how wonderful the plans of God are, even when circumstances might seem cruel and illogical, as in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ who was put to death despite his good and miraculous works. Yet in his death, was his resurrection on Easter day, which forever broke the grasp of the devil upon the sinful man.
Yield to maturity(YTM) is a basic foundational concept in the pricing of bonds. It works on the assumption that if you buy and hold a bond to the end of its life, what will be the annual return or yield that you will receive, assuming the interest received is reinvested at the same rate.
‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’
Ephesians 5:17
What about YTM as a spiritual concept? From the moment you commit to receive the gospel of salvation and invite the Spirit of God into your heart as a believer, you have entered into a covenant to let the Spirit of God transform you from the carnal man to the spirit man in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. You must be willing to yield your all to the Holy Spirit and this will continue till the day Christ brings you home. And yielding does not come from your own strength, but rather from a desire to stay in the presence of Lord, come what may, to allow His sanctifying presence and power to imbue us with that inner peace, joy and deep assurance, that will keep us focus on Him, while we wait upon Him in His ways and timing.
‘And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Romans 12:2
As we take time to celebrate, and not just commemorate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, celebrate because the victory over death is won and it is for us who believe to “plunder” from the devil its ill gotten gains of sinful souls by sharing and living out the power of the saving grace of the gospel.
‘..but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.’
Romans 16:19
But the way to do it is not in the the way the carnal world does, that is, on our own strength and understanding. But rather, as the verse in Romans 16:19 reminds us, God's way is for us to submit to His will, to live out the fruits of the Spirit with love, and to love our enemies, then only can we truly resist and overcome the delusions of the devil and claim the victory that is already won. Submission to the sanctifying grace of God can only come if we have that hunger for and desire to follow our Lord and let me close by pointing you to the words in the song, “As the deer pants for the water.”.
As the deer pants for the water,
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.
You're my Friend and You are my Brother,
Even though You are a King.
I love You more than any other,
So much more than anything.
THE PARADOX OF YIELD
Bring all ye the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'
Malachi 3:10
God knows our limits. For us in the developed world, repression is less direct in terms of right to worship(at least for now, but let us not take it for granted for society is evolving and Christians will be persecuted in the new religion of secularism as witnessed in the West) but more in terms of loss of material comfort. And indeed many are yielding to the call of the devil in exchange for the temporal mountains of treasures he promised.
'Ye have said. It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?'
Malachi 3:14
Why? Because the carnal man is always looking to increase his yield on his treasures in the world. And this error in focus is causing many of some wealth great angst as they search relentlessly for investments that can give them better returns than the paltry interest rates on cash in most countries. In this End Times intensified, there will be a greater surfeit of false prophets and greater delusions, and the world we live in today is living off the self denial of governments in not dealing with the financial excesses of the past years and as more jump into the bandwagon of "inflation hedges,' be it properties, soft and hard commodities, the day is nearing where many will be right about their investment choices, yet still be seriously mauled by the sudden twists and turns that will epitomize this inflation dragon that they are riding on.
Our good Lord reminded me that indeed, the best investment is in His Kingdom, in taking time with Him and in investing in the salvation of souls He will surely place in our lives. Death is not the end all. There is eternity with the resurrected Christ. But where we will be in eternity? Be it damnation or heavenly bliss is dependent upon how we live our faith today.
'While it is said. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.'
Hebrews 3:15
Only in yielding to God, rather than looking for yields on the temporal treasures of this world, will we be able to navigate safely the sin littered road to damnation that the devil so desires us to join him in.
‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’
Matthew 26:39
This time last year, I was in Shanghai. And the photos in the album, a work of love painstakingly put together by Janet my better half, attest to the wonderful memories we had of the rejuvenated Grand Old Dame of Asia, but more importantly, the new experiences we had in attending church service in Shanghai over Good Friday as well as Easter.
'..he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.'
Hebrews 2:14
As most of us attend Good Friday service this morning, not just to commemorate but to celebrate and remind ourselves and all of the love of Christ for all of us and to affirm the victory of the saving grace of the cross, for death no longer has a grip on those who take up the salvation offered to all and we need no longer live our lives under the bondage of sin and its price, the fear of death.
‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.’
Ephesians 5:1
Such a wonderful and obvious truth, why then does not many believe? And sadly this disbelief also applies to many professed Christians who mouth their beliefs, but whose heart has no place for the risen Christ. Is there a reason to stay lukewarm? Is it because of the real and perceived risks to one's life and limbs?(as in this morning's headline on the 5 large bombs discovered near churches in Jakarta). Or in acknowledging and following our Lord Jesus Christ, would one be prepared to stand firm in the face of discrimination and persecution, as in the present seemingly difficult circumstances for Chinese worshipers in the Shouwang Church in Beijing? Seemingly difficult not because one is belittling the real challenges that our brethren in China faces, but rather, it is an acknowledgment that God is Sovereign and to Him only must we yield and no other and in yielding to Him, His grace will come forth.
( see this link for a testimony of faith http://www.chsource.org/site/en/blog/628-a-letter-to-the-congregation-beijing-shouwang-church.html )
( http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Shouwang-Church:-Celebrating-Easter,-even-at-the-cost-of-arrest-21354.html )
Common experience is that the thirst for our Lord is even greater in times of refinement compared to moments of ease. And what we are witnessing in China today is that innate faith that rest firmly upon the Lord our God, our Rock even as the burdens of lives intensifies. For a nation whose budget for internal security is as large as that for its external defense, it is indeed a strange experience for repressive forces who will find that man's cruelties and their repertoire of tools available do have its limitations when dealing with seemingly defenseless Christians, for whom, many have come to boldly live out the dictum, "to live is Christ, to die is gain." and our prayers are that these men, women and children of faith will remain steadfast in the spirit, knowing that the love of God will be anchor them through the present storm and that God's love through these lamps of faith, will overwhelm the once hard and dark hearts of their detractors, for man plans, God directs.
‘For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light.’
Ephesians 5:8
Would we who are blessed in Singapore and Hong Kong, be able to remain unmovable in our faith in the face of intense pressure that wants us to renounce our faith? Or is it already a reality that the comforts of a material life has already shifted many from their focus on the Lord our God and indeed, many have already renounced their allegiance to God and yielded to the temptations of Satan's world?
'And deliver them who through fear of death were all in their lifetime subject to bondage.'
Hebrews 2:15
Life as a Christian will be challenging, for we are asked to be no longer of this world, much as we are still living in this sinful world, till Christ returns. And this is best exemplified by how our Lord Jesus Christ, on Palm Sunday, was feted by all as he sat on the colt heading towards Jerusalem, after having rounded off his miraculous ministry with the resurrection of Lazarus. For any of us in His position, the sweet smell of success must have be pretty aromatic. Yet, who is to expect that just a few days later, things turned fairly sour and Christ was to find himself despised and cruelly crucified on Good Friday.
‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
Matthew 26:41
Is it understandable then for many “on fire” Christians to quickly lose that desire to live out their faith,when the reality of an ungrateful and difficult world fairly quickly doused the once vibrant faith and leave them smoldering in the embers of hurt and discouragement?
‘He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’
Matthew 26:42
How can we the carnal and imperfect man be like Christ, who though taking on the form of us human, yet is not like us? Yield is the word God placed in my heart and letting go and letting Him is what His Spirit leads me on in today’s sharing. All of us know truly how wonderful the plans of God are, even when circumstances might seem cruel and illogical, as in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ who was put to death despite his good and miraculous works. Yet in his death, was his resurrection on Easter day, which forever broke the grasp of the devil upon the sinful man.
Yield to maturity(YTM) is a basic foundational concept in the pricing of bonds. It works on the assumption that if you buy and hold a bond to the end of its life, what will be the annual return or yield that you will receive, assuming the interest received is reinvested at the same rate.
‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’
Ephesians 5:17
What about YTM as a spiritual concept? From the moment you commit to receive the gospel of salvation and invite the Spirit of God into your heart as a believer, you have entered into a covenant to let the Spirit of God transform you from the carnal man to the spirit man in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. You must be willing to yield your all to the Holy Spirit and this will continue till the day Christ brings you home. And yielding does not come from your own strength, but rather from a desire to stay in the presence of Lord, come what may, to allow His sanctifying presence and power to imbue us with that inner peace, joy and deep assurance, that will keep us focus on Him, while we wait upon Him in His ways and timing.
‘And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Romans 12:2
As we take time to celebrate, and not just commemorate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, celebrate because the victory over death is won and it is for us who believe to “plunder” from the devil its ill gotten gains of sinful souls by sharing and living out the power of the saving grace of the gospel.
‘..but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.’
Romans 16:19
But the way to do it is not in the the way the carnal world does, that is, on our own strength and understanding. But rather, as the verse in Romans 16:19 reminds us, God's way is for us to submit to His will, to live out the fruits of the Spirit with love, and to love our enemies, then only can we truly resist and overcome the delusions of the devil and claim the victory that is already won. Submission to the sanctifying grace of God can only come if we have that hunger for and desire to follow our Lord and let me close by pointing you to the words in the song, “As the deer pants for the water.”.
As the deer pants for the water,
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.
You're my Friend and You are my Brother,
Even though You are a King.
I love You more than any other,
So much more than anything.
THE PARADOX OF YIELD
Bring all ye the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'
Malachi 3:10
God knows our limits. For us in the developed world, repression is less direct in terms of right to worship(at least for now, but let us not take it for granted for society is evolving and Christians will be persecuted in the new religion of secularism as witnessed in the West) but more in terms of loss of material comfort. And indeed many are yielding to the call of the devil in exchange for the temporal mountains of treasures he promised.
'Ye have said. It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?'
Malachi 3:14
Why? Because the carnal man is always looking to increase his yield on his treasures in the world. And this error in focus is causing many of some wealth great angst as they search relentlessly for investments that can give them better returns than the paltry interest rates on cash in most countries. In this End Times intensified, there will be a greater surfeit of false prophets and greater delusions, and the world we live in today is living off the self denial of governments in not dealing with the financial excesses of the past years and as more jump into the bandwagon of "inflation hedges,' be it properties, soft and hard commodities, the day is nearing where many will be right about their investment choices, yet still be seriously mauled by the sudden twists and turns that will epitomize this inflation dragon that they are riding on.
Our good Lord reminded me that indeed, the best investment is in His Kingdom, in taking time with Him and in investing in the salvation of souls He will surely place in our lives. Death is not the end all. There is eternity with the resurrected Christ. But where we will be in eternity? Be it damnation or heavenly bliss is dependent upon how we live our faith today.
'While it is said. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.'
Hebrews 3:15
Only in yielding to God, rather than looking for yields on the temporal treasures of this world, will we be able to navigate safely the sin littered road to damnation that the devil so desires us to join him in.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #45 It pays to pray??(14th April 11)
Dear..
‘And even to your old age I am He, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry, and will deliver you.’
Isaiah 46:4
Is man by nature transactional? With the first bite of the apple, men have shifted from looking at life from God’s perspective to an attitude, be it deliberate or in the subconscious, of what is it in for me? Mercantilism was the school of thought(15th to early 20th Century) that dominated the European psyche that fueled imperialism and the advent of colonial conquest globally. Mercantilism works on the assumption of one party can only benefit at the expense of another and maybe this explains to some extent the loathing many had for the merchant class, be it in Shakespeare’s Shylock(aka Merchant of Venice) or the general disdain that the scholarly elite and Imperial ruling class in the bastion of power in the North held for their Southern brethren in China.
Prayers is what our Lord Jesus Christ showed by example and come what may, he took time with the Lord our God.
'In returning and rest you shall be saved. I quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not..'
Isaiah 30:15
Should we also not take time in prayers with the Lord always? But will we be like Christ who in his role as the “human” man struggled with the knowledge of what is to come, his cruxification, but unlike man, knew and was obedient to the will of God?
‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..’
Ephesians 6:18
The Apostle Paul in the last chapter of Ephesians reminds all that there is both the natural world that we live in as well as the spiritual world that encapsulates our very being, much as our carnal man does not sense it. And he urges us to put on the whole armor of God, for without which, we will be overwhelmed by the spiritual forces of evil that rules our fallen world. And prayers must be the underlying glue that must bind and undergird our every moment, wherever we are, whatever we are thinking or doing.
‘…woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time…’
Revelation 12:12
I have in the past few years of actively seeking God in His words and work, learned to appreciate the privilege of being able, without any advance notice, to take time in with Him and take time out from whatever in this difficult world of ours seems to be oppressing my sense of well being.
‘For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17:28
It is a right given to all, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to come unto the presence of God, the source of peace and joy and comfort, yet many are either not aware or do not feel inclined to avail themselves of the sanctifying presence of our Lord. And for those who do eventually come to the Lord in prayers, it is often about their needs rather the will of God.
‘Then said he unto me. Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.’
Daniel 10:12
Daniel was a man who seeks after the Lord with his all. And God gave him the highest honor amongst men and shielded him through the storms. And how wonderful that the prayers of the faithful are like sweet incense reaching out to our Heavenly Father, and how reassuring it is that He not just hears our prayers, but send His angels in response.
‘O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear, open Thine eyes and behold our desolations….for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness, but for Thy great mercies…’
Daniel 9:18
And that is the wonderful thing about prayers. It is not like a legal contract, where we must provide consideration in order to obtain a response from God. And it is not about what we have done or promise to do, but it is about the faithfulness of God and His often unrequited love for us. Prayers bring us into an intimate communion with the Spirit of God. Prayers allow His Spirit to minister to our thirsty soul and sanctifies our very being, to be made ready to receive the promptings of His Spirit. And prayers ensure that we allow the Spirit of God to remind us on what is not right with our walk with Him and to prompt the correct response from us.
‘For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.’
Luke 12:2
Just this morning, the Lord reminded me that indeed every day is a new day, and often, we take as given that we will wake up the next morning, which need not always be the case. Should we not then be thankful for a new morning and respond to that privilege by asking God in our morning prayers or “conversation” with Him to teach us to honor Him with the day given, assured that His grace is indeed suffice for the day, much as we live in a fallen world? Is this no the Lord's prayer that Christ taught us all?
'For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him.'
Isaiah 30:18
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Orison??
‘And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and His voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory…..So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house…
Ezekiel 43:2-6
It has been a blessed ten years since the Spirit of God brought me forth from disinterested believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it has been 9 years since in His way, I have been led to an active role in prayer ministry, both in school, church and at the office.
God, for myself, has been an interesting relationship. He brings me to places and roles that I never imagined ever doing and in following, I have been most blessed and this is the reassurance that gives me certainty of faith, as I look forward to wherever He places me next, but till then, learning to be thankful and to honor Him, wherever He places me in for the present.
‘This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.’
Ezekiel 43:12
In the rudimentary years(back in 1998) of my returning to the faith, when I did not like to croak in church, hardly read the Bible and rather use my worldly wisdom, and felt quite ill at ease about praying in the presence of others, our good Lord gave me a vision one night while I was fast asleep on my son’s bed.
I saw this azure blue sky, a lovely blue that briefly captivated me, before unexpectedly a dazzling bright light, so bright that my eyes cringed, shone forth from the same sky. And I felt myself being lifted upright to a seated posture and running parallel to this was a voice that roared like the waves, commanding yet not threatening, and the words I heard was “to rise like the Oriole.”
This was a momentary experience and I woke up and looking at the time, it was 2am and much as I sense that it was more than a dream, I said a little prayer to thank God for the experience and went back to bed. The next morning, I looked up the dictionary, much as I do recall “oriole” refers to a bird with colorful plumage. But one other word smack right below the word ‘oriole” was this hither till then unfamiliar word “orison.”
Orison is defined in the dictionary as “a reverent petition to a diety.”
‘But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…’
Jude 1:20
Prayers is indeed what God has brought me to these past 9 years. I have come to learn that prayers is not a matter of choice, but a clear command from our Lord, for prayers bring our spirit man into communion with the Spirit God. And prayers must gird our daily journey as a believer as the Spirit of God leads us through this fallen world, where hovering and always ready to pounce on us, is the devil and its demonic cohorts.
'Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it..'
Isaiah 30:21
God will always show us the next step. If our heart is right with God, there will be no confusion as to His will for us for the next step, in the path He has already laid for us. And as we walk in faith, He will clarify His ways and as I looked back at the past decade, He is indeed Sovereign.
Ezekiel 43:2-6 is a verse that is ensconced in the particular segment of the Book of Ezekiel, which for most of us, is quite uninteresting, unless you happen to be an architect. And it was only back in year 2009, as I took time to pray, as Rosanne my publisher and myself pondered upon a mystery that seems to hinder the final printing of our book “Reflections – a traveler’s muse.” We could not figure out the cover page(see pictures below), which should have showed travelers moving up a mountain slope, with a lovely blue clear sky as a backdrop but instead the blue sky was replaced by the gleaming darkness of dusted gold when the printing press was run.
The Lord brought me to Ezekiel 43:2-6, and as I read this verse for the first time(much as I have been reading the Bible diligently for the past decade), it was as if the doors of heaven were flung wide open for that peek into the ways of God. For this verse crystallized for me the vision I had a few years earlier and it affirmed that prayer ministry that God has brought me to. And interestingly, as I read a little further into Ezekiel 43:12, the verse summed up the purpose of the art book that we published. Which is, a reminder to man as they struggled up the slope of human attainment, to take time to look away from their worldly endeavors and to look up into the sky above. For the God is very present in our lives and He is holy, but are we holy in our living? Prayers are the pegs that will ensure that we correctly ground ourselves in this finite journey that all men have to go through, till the Lord brings us home.
‘And even to your old age I am He, and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made, and I will bear, even I will carry, and will deliver you.’
Isaiah 46:4
Is man by nature transactional? With the first bite of the apple, men have shifted from looking at life from God’s perspective to an attitude, be it deliberate or in the subconscious, of what is it in for me? Mercantilism was the school of thought(15th to early 20th Century) that dominated the European psyche that fueled imperialism and the advent of colonial conquest globally. Mercantilism works on the assumption of one party can only benefit at the expense of another and maybe this explains to some extent the loathing many had for the merchant class, be it in Shakespeare’s Shylock(aka Merchant of Venice) or the general disdain that the scholarly elite and Imperial ruling class in the bastion of power in the North held for their Southern brethren in China.
Prayers is what our Lord Jesus Christ showed by example and come what may, he took time with the Lord our God.
'In returning and rest you shall be saved. I quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not..'
Isaiah 30:15
Should we also not take time in prayers with the Lord always? But will we be like Christ who in his role as the “human” man struggled with the knowledge of what is to come, his cruxification, but unlike man, knew and was obedient to the will of God?
‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..’
Ephesians 6:18
The Apostle Paul in the last chapter of Ephesians reminds all that there is both the natural world that we live in as well as the spiritual world that encapsulates our very being, much as our carnal man does not sense it. And he urges us to put on the whole armor of God, for without which, we will be overwhelmed by the spiritual forces of evil that rules our fallen world. And prayers must be the underlying glue that must bind and undergird our every moment, wherever we are, whatever we are thinking or doing.
‘…woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time…’
Revelation 12:12
I have in the past few years of actively seeking God in His words and work, learned to appreciate the privilege of being able, without any advance notice, to take time in with Him and take time out from whatever in this difficult world of ours seems to be oppressing my sense of well being.
‘For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17:28
It is a right given to all, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to come unto the presence of God, the source of peace and joy and comfort, yet many are either not aware or do not feel inclined to avail themselves of the sanctifying presence of our Lord. And for those who do eventually come to the Lord in prayers, it is often about their needs rather the will of God.
‘Then said he unto me. Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.’
Daniel 10:12
Daniel was a man who seeks after the Lord with his all. And God gave him the highest honor amongst men and shielded him through the storms. And how wonderful that the prayers of the faithful are like sweet incense reaching out to our Heavenly Father, and how reassuring it is that He not just hears our prayers, but send His angels in response.
‘O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear, open Thine eyes and behold our desolations….for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousness, but for Thy great mercies…’
Daniel 9:18
And that is the wonderful thing about prayers. It is not like a legal contract, where we must provide consideration in order to obtain a response from God. And it is not about what we have done or promise to do, but it is about the faithfulness of God and His often unrequited love for us. Prayers bring us into an intimate communion with the Spirit of God. Prayers allow His Spirit to minister to our thirsty soul and sanctifies our very being, to be made ready to receive the promptings of His Spirit. And prayers ensure that we allow the Spirit of God to remind us on what is not right with our walk with Him and to prompt the correct response from us.
‘For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.’
Luke 12:2
Just this morning, the Lord reminded me that indeed every day is a new day, and often, we take as given that we will wake up the next morning, which need not always be the case. Should we not then be thankful for a new morning and respond to that privilege by asking God in our morning prayers or “conversation” with Him to teach us to honor Him with the day given, assured that His grace is indeed suffice for the day, much as we live in a fallen world? Is this no the Lord's prayer that Christ taught us all?
'For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him.'
Isaiah 30:18
Rgds and God Blesses
Eng Hieang
Orison??
‘And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and His voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory…..So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house…
Ezekiel 43:2-6
It has been a blessed ten years since the Spirit of God brought me forth from disinterested believer to determined follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it has been 9 years since in His way, I have been led to an active role in prayer ministry, both in school, church and at the office.
God, for myself, has been an interesting relationship. He brings me to places and roles that I never imagined ever doing and in following, I have been most blessed and this is the reassurance that gives me certainty of faith, as I look forward to wherever He places me next, but till then, learning to be thankful and to honor Him, wherever He places me in for the present.
‘This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.’
Ezekiel 43:12
In the rudimentary years(back in 1998) of my returning to the faith, when I did not like to croak in church, hardly read the Bible and rather use my worldly wisdom, and felt quite ill at ease about praying in the presence of others, our good Lord gave me a vision one night while I was fast asleep on my son’s bed.
I saw this azure blue sky, a lovely blue that briefly captivated me, before unexpectedly a dazzling bright light, so bright that my eyes cringed, shone forth from the same sky. And I felt myself being lifted upright to a seated posture and running parallel to this was a voice that roared like the waves, commanding yet not threatening, and the words I heard was “to rise like the Oriole.”
This was a momentary experience and I woke up and looking at the time, it was 2am and much as I sense that it was more than a dream, I said a little prayer to thank God for the experience and went back to bed. The next morning, I looked up the dictionary, much as I do recall “oriole” refers to a bird with colorful plumage. But one other word smack right below the word ‘oriole” was this hither till then unfamiliar word “orison.”
Orison is defined in the dictionary as “a reverent petition to a diety.”
‘But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…’
Jude 1:20
Prayers is indeed what God has brought me to these past 9 years. I have come to learn that prayers is not a matter of choice, but a clear command from our Lord, for prayers bring our spirit man into communion with the Spirit God. And prayers must gird our daily journey as a believer as the Spirit of God leads us through this fallen world, where hovering and always ready to pounce on us, is the devil and its demonic cohorts.
'Your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it..'
Isaiah 30:21
God will always show us the next step. If our heart is right with God, there will be no confusion as to His will for us for the next step, in the path He has already laid for us. And as we walk in faith, He will clarify His ways and as I looked back at the past decade, He is indeed Sovereign.
Ezekiel 43:2-6 is a verse that is ensconced in the particular segment of the Book of Ezekiel, which for most of us, is quite uninteresting, unless you happen to be an architect. And it was only back in year 2009, as I took time to pray, as Rosanne my publisher and myself pondered upon a mystery that seems to hinder the final printing of our book “Reflections – a traveler’s muse.” We could not figure out the cover page(see pictures below), which should have showed travelers moving up a mountain slope, with a lovely blue clear sky as a backdrop but instead the blue sky was replaced by the gleaming darkness of dusted gold when the printing press was run.
The Lord brought me to Ezekiel 43:2-6, and as I read this verse for the first time(much as I have been reading the Bible diligently for the past decade), it was as if the doors of heaven were flung wide open for that peek into the ways of God. For this verse crystallized for me the vision I had a few years earlier and it affirmed that prayer ministry that God has brought me to. And interestingly, as I read a little further into Ezekiel 43:12, the verse summed up the purpose of the art book that we published. Which is, a reminder to man as they struggled up the slope of human attainment, to take time to look away from their worldly endeavors and to look up into the sky above. For the God is very present in our lives and He is holy, but are we holy in our living? Prayers are the pegs that will ensure that we correctly ground ourselves in this finite journey that all men have to go through, till the Lord brings us home.
Friday, April 8, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #44 Belief !!! (8th April 2011)
Dear…
‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’
Hebrews 11:1
This morning’s paper had a tantalizing picture of silver ingots, with the accompanying headline touting its virtues as the investment of choice at current prices of US$39/oz, even better than dull gold. It is a sense of déjà vu for me, for almost two decades back, a friend and I were the few who believed in this metal(at a time when demand for photographic films like Kodak were on a long term decline and the only other major use for silver was for dowry in Indian weddings), and we did make some decent monies on it, trading silver at between US$3.50oz to US$4/oz, and it was quite comfortable given that production costs was US$3.50/oz. This belief or comfort in knowing that we were buying near production costs allowed us to savor at our leisure, the joy of watching profitable movements of silver as quoted on the Teletext(a limited financial service provided by the Singapore Media) long before many had easy access to the internet. A rewarding after dinner aperitif, for spot silver was most active during New York trading hours.
Fast forward today, many now believe less in the dross of silver than its compelling potential as an inflation hedge, much as for an older fogey like me, who, some years back, could not bear to join Warren Buffet and Bill Gates when they started to corner silver at below US$10/oz, how can I bring myself to join into this new manic amongst investors, who might not realize that back in 1979, there were two once very wealthy brothers(the Hunt brothers) who translated their belief or rather obsession with the idea that silver will rise higher than the heavens and plunge the depths of their no small largess to eventually see it frittered away, when that belief turned out to be a delusion.
‘For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.’
Hebrews 10:37
Much as my friend and I have missed out on the big moves in silver, thankfully, both of us in unconnected ways have moved from casual believers to determined followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. And is that belief more rewarding compared to our having stayed the course in silver, which would have made us 1000% over 20 yrs or 50%pa? For those who think death is the end all and there is no eternity, than the things of the world that one can connect with one’s carnal senses is definitely placed on a very much higher pedestal and it just happen that it is silver’s turn to be worshiped.
Death is certain believer or not, but for many professed Christians who believes in a Sovereign God and His promise of resurrection and eternity, we seem to be giving short shrift to that belief in eternity and instead rather be consumed by the tyranny of the temporal, and we trade both the character and power of a life with an eternal focus for the ordinary(an extract from “Kingdom Living, by Joe Stowell, Discovery Series).
Is it because our carnal self are more in-tuned with the things of the world, while most of us cannot connect with the “invisible” God, for God is Spirit?”
‘Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it.”
Jeremiah 1:12
With time spent in the presence of our Lord these past decade, with that desire to seek Him thankfully stirred up in greater intensity these past 4 years, I have come to sense the presence of God and His Spirit’s leading in greater clarity in recent years. And it is often very personal that only my spirit man can understand for God speaks to us in different ways, and that is the wonder of our God Who knows the very strand of our hair.
Yet the common response commanded from each of us who seek Him is not that dissimilar. To be holy for God is Holy. And we do that by placing Christ as the center of our lives and to love others as much as ourselves. And we live out that command by living out the fruits of the Spirit and in doing so, we will come to truly know God well.
( see link to Joe Stowell’s Kingdom Living. It is a worthwhile read. http://www.resourcesforyourministry.org/Products/Kingdom-Living-Part-1--Embracing-The-Virtues-Of-The-King--(PDF)__HP091.aspx)
Much as I am very cognizance of my own deceitful self and finite understanding, this ministry of sharing His journey with me is what God has placed me in, and by His grace, may the thoughts shared be truly from Him. And lately, at least in the past few months, I have up the ante in being even more specific about the thoughts He has placed in my heart. Is it foolishness or mere bravado or it is truly a response to the Spirit’s prompting, for we share not the just the word of the Gospel, but live out its power if we believe?
‘And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.’
Jeremiah 1:16
Now that the world has watched the doomsday movie “2012” in reel life, and have in the past few months witnessed an increased cycle of natural disasters, would it be appropriate now for some of us to don the mantle of prophets of doom and verbalized loudly the words of doom onto placards that one is tempted to carry to remind all and sundry on the day of reckoning? “Repent or be doom!!”
‘Know ye not that which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’
1 Corinthians 9:24
I think not. It is not our job to foretell the future, nor are we equipped to do so, even if one is desirous.
But it is imperative for us to remind ourselves and each other that Christ must be the center of our lives, for only then will we remain unshakeable, much as the world is increasingly being shaken. And it is time to bring ourselves back into focus. “June 2011” was the date God placed in my heart back in Nov last year. It was only recently that I begin to understand a little better, its significance, thanks to a recent write-up I received from Rev Francis Khoo(Covenant Vision Center) who described a vision God gave him, same time in Nov last year, on the need to be prepared as the world will move from the first 6 months of great prosperity to a change of scenery to one of great evil.
‘No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life.’
2 Timothy 2:4
It is not about when, be it June of July or whichever day, for no one knows when Christ will return, nor can one fathom the plans of God. But it is about recalibrating our wandering hearts that have deviated from the call of God, and to turn back to Him now and be transformed by His Spirit into Christ-likeness, to be made ready not just for His return, but to ensure that we will be correctly anchored in the storms that are fast swirling in our midst.
If like me, you believe in and have come to experience the very real presence of our Sovereign God, then you must follow as He leads.
‘Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good..Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.’
Psalm 34:8,10
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th April 2011)
‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’
Hebrews 11:1
This morning’s paper had a tantalizing picture of silver ingots, with the accompanying headline touting its virtues as the investment of choice at current prices of US$39/oz, even better than dull gold. It is a sense of déjà vu for me, for almost two decades back, a friend and I were the few who believed in this metal(at a time when demand for photographic films like Kodak were on a long term decline and the only other major use for silver was for dowry in Indian weddings), and we did make some decent monies on it, trading silver at between US$3.50oz to US$4/oz, and it was quite comfortable given that production costs was US$3.50/oz. This belief or comfort in knowing that we were buying near production costs allowed us to savor at our leisure, the joy of watching profitable movements of silver as quoted on the Teletext(a limited financial service provided by the Singapore Media) long before many had easy access to the internet. A rewarding after dinner aperitif, for spot silver was most active during New York trading hours.
Fast forward today, many now believe less in the dross of silver than its compelling potential as an inflation hedge, much as for an older fogey like me, who, some years back, could not bear to join Warren Buffet and Bill Gates when they started to corner silver at below US$10/oz, how can I bring myself to join into this new manic amongst investors, who might not realize that back in 1979, there were two once very wealthy brothers(the Hunt brothers) who translated their belief or rather obsession with the idea that silver will rise higher than the heavens and plunge the depths of their no small largess to eventually see it frittered away, when that belief turned out to be a delusion.
‘For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.’
Hebrews 10:37
Much as my friend and I have missed out on the big moves in silver, thankfully, both of us in unconnected ways have moved from casual believers to determined followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. And is that belief more rewarding compared to our having stayed the course in silver, which would have made us 1000% over 20 yrs or 50%pa? For those who think death is the end all and there is no eternity, than the things of the world that one can connect with one’s carnal senses is definitely placed on a very much higher pedestal and it just happen that it is silver’s turn to be worshiped.
Death is certain believer or not, but for many professed Christians who believes in a Sovereign God and His promise of resurrection and eternity, we seem to be giving short shrift to that belief in eternity and instead rather be consumed by the tyranny of the temporal, and we trade both the character and power of a life with an eternal focus for the ordinary(an extract from “Kingdom Living, by Joe Stowell, Discovery Series).
Is it because our carnal self are more in-tuned with the things of the world, while most of us cannot connect with the “invisible” God, for God is Spirit?”
‘Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten My word to perform it.”
Jeremiah 1:12
With time spent in the presence of our Lord these past decade, with that desire to seek Him thankfully stirred up in greater intensity these past 4 years, I have come to sense the presence of God and His Spirit’s leading in greater clarity in recent years. And it is often very personal that only my spirit man can understand for God speaks to us in different ways, and that is the wonder of our God Who knows the very strand of our hair.
Yet the common response commanded from each of us who seek Him is not that dissimilar. To be holy for God is Holy. And we do that by placing Christ as the center of our lives and to love others as much as ourselves. And we live out that command by living out the fruits of the Spirit and in doing so, we will come to truly know God well.
( see link to Joe Stowell’s Kingdom Living. It is a worthwhile read. http://www.resourcesforyourministry.org/Products/Kingdom-Living-Part-1--Embracing-The-Virtues-Of-The-King--(PDF)__HP091.aspx)
Much as I am very cognizance of my own deceitful self and finite understanding, this ministry of sharing His journey with me is what God has placed me in, and by His grace, may the thoughts shared be truly from Him. And lately, at least in the past few months, I have up the ante in being even more specific about the thoughts He has placed in my heart. Is it foolishness or mere bravado or it is truly a response to the Spirit’s prompting, for we share not the just the word of the Gospel, but live out its power if we believe?
‘And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.’
Jeremiah 1:16
Now that the world has watched the doomsday movie “2012” in reel life, and have in the past few months witnessed an increased cycle of natural disasters, would it be appropriate now for some of us to don the mantle of prophets of doom and verbalized loudly the words of doom onto placards that one is tempted to carry to remind all and sundry on the day of reckoning? “Repent or be doom!!”
‘Know ye not that which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.’
1 Corinthians 9:24
I think not. It is not our job to foretell the future, nor are we equipped to do so, even if one is desirous.
But it is imperative for us to remind ourselves and each other that Christ must be the center of our lives, for only then will we remain unshakeable, much as the world is increasingly being shaken. And it is time to bring ourselves back into focus. “June 2011” was the date God placed in my heart back in Nov last year. It was only recently that I begin to understand a little better, its significance, thanks to a recent write-up I received from Rev Francis Khoo(Covenant Vision Center) who described a vision God gave him, same time in Nov last year, on the need to be prepared as the world will move from the first 6 months of great prosperity to a change of scenery to one of great evil.
‘No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life.’
2 Timothy 2:4
It is not about when, be it June of July or whichever day, for no one knows when Christ will return, nor can one fathom the plans of God. But it is about recalibrating our wandering hearts that have deviated from the call of God, and to turn back to Him now and be transformed by His Spirit into Christ-likeness, to be made ready not just for His return, but to ensure that we will be correctly anchored in the storms that are fast swirling in our midst.
If like me, you believe in and have come to experience the very real presence of our Sovereign God, then you must follow as He leads.
‘Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good..Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.’
Psalm 34:8,10
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(8th April 2011)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
In Spirit and Truth #43 A better tomorrow?? (3rd Apr 2011)
Dear…
‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’
Romans 15:4
“The only thing certain about tomorrow is that you are a day older.” This is an interesting one-liner I pick up from an article written by two eminent French academics in their prognosis on the resilience of the stoic Japanese and how the aftermath of the earthquake could actually be a positive in re-igniting the ebbing vigor of the moribund economy of the past twenty years.
Is tomorrow better than today? For most, especially in our Asian society, it seems to be the case. Children are told to work hard for a future good career. And for the working adults, most strive at great risk to their physical and emotional health and increasingly many give short shrift to moral values as they also strife, placing greater weight on self interest rather than common good, where the end justifies the means, to achieve a perceived better future.
Chow Yun Fat, in the 1986 cult gangster movie “A better tomorrow” literally took this misconception one step further by shooting to eternity all his enemies. Was he happier for it? Not sure, but at least, this ending was within the control of the scriptwriter and Director. What about real not reel life?
‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost….Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.’
Romans 15:13,33
When we profess ourselves as Christians, we are not just acknowledging our sins, but have committed to repent and to follow Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be a holy and living sacrifice to be made ready for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And God’s commitment to us is a life of inner peace and joy, in all circumstances, on Earth, and eternity in Heaven with Him.
‘Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching……Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.’
Luke 12:37,39
And because no one knows when Christ will return, or even when we could be taken home, the command to us is to live every day as possibly the last day and to live it well, as God leads, knowing that much as the day is evil in our fallen world, the grace of God is suffice for the day.
And here lies the disconnect for most of us.
God, for many professed Christians is often an accessory that complements our scheme of things as we pursue the desires of the world. And at best, a genie to call upon when trouble necessitates the need to look to Him.
Might not seem like a fair statement for some of the more pious Christians who feel that they have allocated God a larger share of their time and resources. But partnering God is not good enough. God looks for an obedient and faithful heart that is prepared to follow and surrender all to Him.
‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.’
John 12:35
Every natural disaster is not just a more profound reminder of the brevity but also the vagaries of life. Expect the unexpected is a good start, but more importantly, if you are blessed to still be with me on this sharing, it is not yet too late to make that commitment to turn to God with your all, before He takes you home. And like the people of Israel of the past, God has forgiven our sins, but we have no further excuse to keep sinning and we have no room to ask God to come back tomorrow, if He calls you home today, just because you had never prepared for His return.
‘And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart…’
1 Samuel 12:20
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(31st Mar 2011)
Ora et Labora
‘My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’
2 Corinthians 12:9
Like the Apostle Paul, all of us who truly seek to follow Christ in our every moment will know that God will still allow us to go through storms, for adversity strengthens our inner being. And like Paul, much as we rather the “thorns in our flesh” be removed, as God reminded him and all of us who seek to be like Christ today, that in our weakness we will indeed see the full glory of His power. And indeed, much as our hearts are desirous, our flesh is still weak, and God today reminded me that He knows my limits and He will divinely intervene in my life to ensure that I not moved away from Him and He has done that for me twice in the past one month. And on that, I am thankful, for His intervention ensures that much as I still have a choice not to heed, a heart that has looked to Him always, will definitely follow and in doing so, save myself from a much more painful correction from my own folly.
What about the rest of the world that do not know Him? And what about others profess themselves as Christians, but deliberately choose not to follow Him? Today might be a little more muted in terms of news breaking events, but as I reflect on the past few years, especially the past one year, there are not just disasters aplenty but each one is of a mega scale( Aceh earthquake and tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Szechuan earthquake, Myammar cyclone, Iceland volcano, Pakistan floods, Queensland floods, Europe snowstorm, Chile earthquake, Christchurch earthquake and now Sendai, Japan).
But like most, I suspect these are intense but fleeting memories, as new disasters take pride of place in our hearts, or simply, we are distracted by other delusions of Satan’s savory offerings, that few take time to think more deeply about the brevity of life and what it means if truly God is real and you are called home today, literally with your spiritual pants down?
'But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.'
1 Corinthians 11:28
Just this Sunday morning, our good Lord woke me up at 7.30am with this deep recollection of my long forgotten old school motto from St Joseph's Institution, part of the La Salle mission schools, where I spend a large part of my formative years. "Ora et Labora," that is, "to pray and work. " Indeed, the times are now with us where End Times intensified would mean the world will face even more earth shaking events going forward and in greater regularity. And even I complete this God given thoughts, I am reminded that with the leak of radioactive water into the sea, the food chain at least in the Pacific Ocean is increasingly being poisoned. The ACS school, (a place where I have been very blessed to be involved in my adult life) motto "the best is yet to be," is indeed the promise that God will bring the best out of our spiritual man, as He allows circumstances to refine and transform us unto His likeness. But, there is a need for a response from us now, more than ever before, and that need is for all who profess to believe in a Sovereign God to "WORK" with our all in following His will today, and always girding that desire and effort in PRAYERS and supplication always.
‘For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’
Romans 15:4
“The only thing certain about tomorrow is that you are a day older.” This is an interesting one-liner I pick up from an article written by two eminent French academics in their prognosis on the resilience of the stoic Japanese and how the aftermath of the earthquake could actually be a positive in re-igniting the ebbing vigor of the moribund economy of the past twenty years.
Is tomorrow better than today? For most, especially in our Asian society, it seems to be the case. Children are told to work hard for a future good career. And for the working adults, most strive at great risk to their physical and emotional health and increasingly many give short shrift to moral values as they also strife, placing greater weight on self interest rather than common good, where the end justifies the means, to achieve a perceived better future.
Chow Yun Fat, in the 1986 cult gangster movie “A better tomorrow” literally took this misconception one step further by shooting to eternity all his enemies. Was he happier for it? Not sure, but at least, this ending was within the control of the scriptwriter and Director. What about real not reel life?
‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost….Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.’
Romans 15:13,33
When we profess ourselves as Christians, we are not just acknowledging our sins, but have committed to repent and to follow Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit, to be a holy and living sacrifice to be made ready for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. And God’s commitment to us is a life of inner peace and joy, in all circumstances, on Earth, and eternity in Heaven with Him.
‘Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching……Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.’
Luke 12:37,39
And because no one knows when Christ will return, or even when we could be taken home, the command to us is to live every day as possibly the last day and to live it well, as God leads, knowing that much as the day is evil in our fallen world, the grace of God is suffice for the day.
And here lies the disconnect for most of us.
God, for many professed Christians is often an accessory that complements our scheme of things as we pursue the desires of the world. And at best, a genie to call upon when trouble necessitates the need to look to Him.
Might not seem like a fair statement for some of the more pious Christians who feel that they have allocated God a larger share of their time and resources. But partnering God is not good enough. God looks for an obedient and faithful heart that is prepared to follow and surrender all to Him.
‘Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.’
John 12:35
Every natural disaster is not just a more profound reminder of the brevity but also the vagaries of life. Expect the unexpected is a good start, but more importantly, if you are blessed to still be with me on this sharing, it is not yet too late to make that commitment to turn to God with your all, before He takes you home. And like the people of Israel of the past, God has forgiven our sins, but we have no further excuse to keep sinning and we have no room to ask God to come back tomorrow, if He calls you home today, just because you had never prepared for His return.
‘And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart…’
1 Samuel 12:20
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(31st Mar 2011)
Ora et Labora
‘My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’
2 Corinthians 12:9
Like the Apostle Paul, all of us who truly seek to follow Christ in our every moment will know that God will still allow us to go through storms, for adversity strengthens our inner being. And like Paul, much as we rather the “thorns in our flesh” be removed, as God reminded him and all of us who seek to be like Christ today, that in our weakness we will indeed see the full glory of His power. And indeed, much as our hearts are desirous, our flesh is still weak, and God today reminded me that He knows my limits and He will divinely intervene in my life to ensure that I not moved away from Him and He has done that for me twice in the past one month. And on that, I am thankful, for His intervention ensures that much as I still have a choice not to heed, a heart that has looked to Him always, will definitely follow and in doing so, save myself from a much more painful correction from my own folly.
What about the rest of the world that do not know Him? And what about others profess themselves as Christians, but deliberately choose not to follow Him? Today might be a little more muted in terms of news breaking events, but as I reflect on the past few years, especially the past one year, there are not just disasters aplenty but each one is of a mega scale( Aceh earthquake and tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Szechuan earthquake, Myammar cyclone, Iceland volcano, Pakistan floods, Queensland floods, Europe snowstorm, Chile earthquake, Christchurch earthquake and now Sendai, Japan).
But like most, I suspect these are intense but fleeting memories, as new disasters take pride of place in our hearts, or simply, we are distracted by other delusions of Satan’s savory offerings, that few take time to think more deeply about the brevity of life and what it means if truly God is real and you are called home today, literally with your spiritual pants down?
'But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.'
1 Corinthians 11:28
Just this Sunday morning, our good Lord woke me up at 7.30am with this deep recollection of my long forgotten old school motto from St Joseph's Institution, part of the La Salle mission schools, where I spend a large part of my formative years. "Ora et Labora," that is, "to pray and work. " Indeed, the times are now with us where End Times intensified would mean the world will face even more earth shaking events going forward and in greater regularity. And even I complete this God given thoughts, I am reminded that with the leak of radioactive water into the sea, the food chain at least in the Pacific Ocean is increasingly being poisoned. The ACS school, (a place where I have been very blessed to be involved in my adult life) motto "the best is yet to be," is indeed the promise that God will bring the best out of our spiritual man, as He allows circumstances to refine and transform us unto His likeness. But, there is a need for a response from us now, more than ever before, and that need is for all who profess to believe in a Sovereign God to "WORK" with our all in following His will today, and always girding that desire and effort in PRAYERS and supplication always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)